Card and photo holder.



0. M. WHITM ORE. CARD AND PHOTO HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG.11, 1909.

, I 962,,39 7 Patented June 21, 1910.

ANDREW a, GRAHAM co. FHOYO-LIYNOGRAFNERS. WASHINGTON, C-Q

ATS ATENT FTC.

CARD AND PHOTO HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Application filed December 11, 1909. Serial No. 532,525.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. WHIT- MoRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card and Photo Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in card and photo holders and the objects of my improvements are to produce a card and photo holder that is self contained and adapted to hold a card or photo or piece of bric-a-brac without special means of attachment being applied to the article to be supported and that is reversible and adapted to hold the article as desired in a pendent position or standing as on a table or shelf.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of my card and photo holder holding a picture in a pendent position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same holding a picture or card in a standing position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, on an enlarged scale. Fig. i is a side elevation of a modification of my invention.

My card and photo holder A is made of a single piece of spring Wire and comprises a pair of hooked engaging ends 10 formed by bending the ends of the wire essentially back upon themselves and adapted to engage with the sides of the article to be supported and a central spring loop 11, adapted to engage with the means of support, and adapted to exert a spring engaging pressure on the said engaging ends by means of which the article to be supported is securely held. I prefer to make the said loop 11 closed as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, although an open loop 11 may be used as shown in Fig. 4. As used, the only parts of my holder that are visible from the front are the front ends 13 of the said hooked engaging ends 10. These I prefer to bend so as to be horizontal, and when in position will be attractive and ornamental rather than objectionable, especially in case the said ends are polished or given a special finish, as nickel or silver plated. I find that the holding efiiciency is increased by bending the rear members 14 of the said hooked ends 10 essentially back on themselves, with a slight angle relative to the said front ends 13, as shown in the pendent position in Fig. 1 the said rear member 14L being upwardly inclined relative to the front ends 18. The said rear members 14 extend appreciably inward to the junction of same and the loop 11 at the corner 15 from which point the loop member 11 extends upward, as shown in said Fig. 1. WVhen used in the pendent position the apex 16 of the loop is hung on the support, as a nail 17 The spring pressure of the spring loop 11 insures a holding pressure sufficient for holding the article to be supported, a moderate pressure assuring the purpose for such light articles as cards and photos, and pieces of bric-a-brac, whereas for comparatively heavy articles, as for instance passe-partouts or articles having glass a stronger spring pressure may be required. A considerable range in the engaging spring pressure within the elastic limit may be obtained by forcibly closing or opening the said spring loop 11 so as to change the permanent set of the same before applying my holder to the article to be supported. By applying my holder in a reversed position to that shown in Fig. 1, and having the said loop member 11 in a downward position relatively to the said hooked ends 10 the same is adapted as a prop or back support for the card or photo as shown in Fig. 2, when resting on a horizontal support, the apex 16 resting on the table or support. The said front ends 13 will assume an essentially horizontal position whether my holder is used in the pendent position as described or as a prop or back support.

My holder is complete and self contained in one piece and is ready and available for use for either of the purposes described without change in formation or adjustment.

I claim as my invention A card and photo holder and hanger comprising a pair of holding arms and a cen tral spring loop connecting the same, the said holding arms having hooked ends consisting of a horizontal front member for the face side of the card, a curved junction and an inclined rear member for the back of the card that extends from the said curved junction obliquely inward at a slight angle to the said horizontal member and in a different plane.

CHARLES M. WHITMORE.

WVitnesses:

SHEFFIELD H. CLARKE, NEWTON L. LooKWooD. 

